Criminal
by Black-Winged Magician
Summary: /Continuation to “Momentum” by Spirit of Water - Aqueria/ Toukouseki Tawashi, a girl as nuts and sarcastic as her name makes no sense, recounts the latter half of her second year in Duel Academia. /Edo x OC x Hell Kaiser/
1. 5

Want to know the scariest combination ever?

Kanda Tsugio & Kochou Ran** together**. I don't think the French Reign of Terror or the Nanjing Rape can even come close to the amount of destruction those two inflict when sharing the same vicinity.

On one hand we have a batshit insane fangirl for Ryou, on the other we have a fruitloop of a fanboy for Asuka, and in between there's a Toukouseki who simply doesn't have the heart (or energy to deal with the consequences) to point out that Ryou and Asuka were once deemed the unofficial "king" and "queen" of Duel Academia, respectively, and rumors say they weren't just platonic titles either.f

Well, that's what Junko and Momoe tell me anyhow. Those two have been sharing an awful lot of gossip with me these days. The first tidbit they reveal was that Asuka was given a one-way ticket out of the Hikari no Kessha via a loss to Yuuki Juudai.

When I go to tell Kanda this he (unsurprisingly) knew of the news before I even came in hearing distance of him. His reaction was a combination of pouting, blubbering, and then comical tearing up in those green chibi puppy eyes. Not that I was surprised.

You see, after hanging around Kanda Tsugio for a while, one tends to notice he: 1) was probably rejected from Sped due to being too stupid for the class 2) has severe boundary issues, and 3) cannot distinguish faux pas from the rear end of a pig if there was an arrow pointing to its curly, pink tail. Now don't get me wrong. I love Kanda very much, like a younger brother almost. But he annoys the holy hell out of me. He has this tendency to be all touchy-feely about everything, sob like a drama queen when he stubs his big toe in a locker, and run his motor mouth so quickly that all one can comprehend nix the babbling are: "_Asuka-tan_" and this enigmatic "_Aniki_" being.

Of course, I prefer this side of him any day over his more…jealous side. Let's just say he and Ran don't get along that well due to romantic conflicts and MELTs (**M**assiv**E L**ove **T**riangles). We'll leave it at that. Yeah.

I try to act dignified as holographic flower pollen, cartoon army ants, a boom box playing game show theme songs, and a microphone flies clear over my head. It's like the first twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan over here.

In lieu of leaping up and bashing both of their brains out with police baton, I grit my teeth as I erase the misspelled 'white' and write in the correct kanji on my 'homework'. 'Homework' as in Kanda's extra prep studies because apparently he read '**teach me how to duel' **as **'overload Tou-tan with papers'**.

_Whoosh._ Ran swipes the top card off her deck. "Sooo, brat, do tell me how you manage to make your voice like that when you duel," she drawls.

_Pffft._ Kanda sticks out his tongue. "The quiz king never reveals his secrets lest they're used against him!" he booms in that freakishly scary low voice.

_Boom. _Insect Princess wipes out Quiz Panel: Ra – 30 and a large portion of his life points. "You want to know another secret? _Asuka Tenjoin is a slut_."

_Grr! _Kanda huffs angrily. "Yeah, well, Kaiser's a German word and you know how World War II ended!"

_BAM. CRASH. SWOOSH._

…and this duel has reached a new low.

Someone get me a cellphone. I need to dial 1-800**-WRRRRRRRRRY** and freakin'_ STEAMROLLER _Kanda and Ran_._

Secretly, I really think that Kanda and Ran would make one heck of a couple. I mean, I don't know what Asuka Tenjoin had that caught his eye, but if it was the ass and tit factor, then Ran would have no problem being that blonde's flesh-and-blood proxy 'cause she had no shortage of _those _assets.

But I don't say this, of course. Instead, I flip over my pencil and erase another misspelled kanji.

"Because of DNA Surgery's effect, all of your monsters are insects!" shouts Ran. "And you know what Insect Princess' ability does…"

"You won't have a chance to destroy my Obelisk Panel if I activate my Attack Nullification trap card!" Kanda quickly counters, having thought up a sure-fire tactic to annihilate her defenses.

Ran growls as a hurricane blasts her princess back onto her side of the field. Kanda laughs in triumph.

Over the course of another fifteen minutes, a cacophony of cursing, and a dozen more cards concerning 'white', Kanda regains control of the duel. He pulls off a stunning from-behind victory which ultimately results in him laughing maniacally with his hands akimbo while Ran glares venomously at him with laser beams protruding from her eyes.

Seeing as Kanda is not exactly..._humble_ with his victory, the students passing by all glance and whisper about how cruel it is for another poor Obelisk Blue girl to have to join the Hikari no Kessha because she lost to that dorky bastard.

(...they do not know half of it.

There is this unspoken rule that if you're beaten by a member of the Hikari no Kessha, you will automatically join as a result. It worked the other way too; if a member of the Hikari no Kessha is beaten by a non-white student, then that member would regain his or her common sense and drop out of the organization. Yet, apparently this rule only operates under certain people. Like Juudai. But not to me or Kanda or Ran, because if it did apply to me then those irritating bastards who I dueled 4-1 wouldn't have beaten up Kanda days later as they would have returned to their normal personalities. And if it did apply to the ducklings, then Ran would have long since abandoned her fetish for Ryou's black trenchcoat.

But because this rule _somehow_, for some _magical reason_ or the other, does not apply to us, Ran and Kanda can throw down as many times as they want over their idols without worrying about tipping the number count of the dorms. So far the score is Kanda: 12, Ran: 7, Toukouseki: WTF.

All of this is completely bullshit to me. I don't know where amnesic brainwashing crosses with winning a card game, why only some people have the ability to play hero, or if Freud is rolling over in his grave to the irrationality that reigns over this school.)

Anyway.

I, naturally, pretend I'm not acquainted with King and Queen Melodrama, though it becomes a challenge to deny my association with the fools when Kanda materializes behind me and peeks over my shoulder.

"Tou-tan? Are you done with your exercises?"

"What's the point of all this drab work-aisu?" I bleat. "I asked you teach me how to duel, not give me paperwork."

He wisely raises his index finger in the air. "But studying is the only way to become a better duelist. You told me that you had trouble memorizing card effects, right? There's no point in repeated dueling if you don't even know the effects." He wags his finger at me. "Better study them first. We can have fun later."

"But all you're doing is making me remember the text of monsters with the word 'white' in their names!" I exclaim, grabbing a fistful of cards off the table and shoving it under his nose. I began counting off all the cards he's given me: "_White_ Uniformed Angel, _White_-Tailed Black Cat, _White_ Ninja, _White _Horns Dragon, _White_ Thief…"

By the time I had reached White Magician Pikeru, the whisperings are surmounted by ear-bleeding chants that steadily rise in volume as boys in blue come into sight from down the road. We raise our attention in their direction. At least they're blue and not white.

"_Ichi, Juu, Hyaku, Sen…Manjyome Sanda!" _

Oh, for the love of... Here comes the fiesta de failure.

"_Ichi, Juu, Hyaku, Sen…__**Manjyome Sanda**__!" _

"…I'm leaving-aisu." I shove my stuff into my backpack and sling the pack over my shoulder, ready to hightail out of here before trouble arises. Most likely by my hand.

Kanda notices I'm walking away and he runs after me. "Hold on, Tou-tan, let me come with you!" he exclaims.

I hold my breath unless a 'Toukouseki -da!' explodes and blows away everyone in the 50 meter radius. Once I swallow my urge to complain about suffixes, I give Kanda the most irritated look ever. "…you go cheer her up." I gesture towards Ran.

For once, Kanda looks enraged at something I've said. He's normally so bubbly. "_What_? Why? I'm not going to help my _enemy_! She—she dissed Asuka! Plus she's an Obelisk Blue!"

(...how is it possible that Ran and I are both in Obelisk Blue yet only she is Kanda enemy? What am I, chopped liver?)

"Yeah well, thanks to you she's a human wasteland…" I retort.

"_Ichi, Juu, Hyaku, Sen…__**MANJYOME SANDA**__!"_

"It's not my fault!" Kanda exclaims, sticking his chin out. "She totally deserved it!"

I twitch. "That argument does_ not_ retain water-aisu. It's not as if she deserved to hold her breath under water for 3 and a half minutes!"

"She's the one who attacked the Osiris Panel!" he argues.

"The card text said _60 seconds_!"

"Who cares? It's just a difference of one and a half minutes!"

(And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why you don't let children sniff glue.)

"_ICHI, JUU, HYAKU, SEN—__**MANJYOME SANDA**__!"_

I throw my arms into the air. "Not to mention you made her do tongue-twisters, mathematical equations, and pushups—"

"She said Ryou was hotter than Asuka!"

"_Ryou__** is**__ hotter than_—I mean, that's not the point! You crossed the line at making her do pushups!"

"Soooo? Saiou-sama and Aniki and Gin—" Kanda babbles like a little child caught red-handed with his fingers in the cookie jar and _c__lose your mouth, you look as if you're missing a chromosome ARGH._ I cut him off by finally losing my cool and screeching in his face.

"Ran is a_ girl_! In high heels! And a _miniskirt_! You can't just say 'drop and give me twenty!' in the middle of a card game. That's what we have P.E. and Ayukawa-sensei for-aisu!"

Kanda is stunned at my outburst. With his mouth glued shut, there is quiet for .002 seconds before it is interrupted with a collective round of:

"_**ICHI, JUU, HYAKU, SEN**__—!"_

That is the last straw. With mounting anger, I slide my backpack off my shoulder and chuck it in the general direction of a small cluster of Obelisk Blue boys chanting nonsense whilst barely missing Kanda by an inch. It hits one them on the head and then hop-scotches over to another one's face.

"Quit flapping your jaws **AND SHUT YOURSELVES UP**!"

They shut themselves up.

I fume and swerve around, stomping away and ignoring Kanda cowering meekly at my violent nature. As for my handmade bludgeoning device, it's only filled with Kanda's 'homework' anyhow. He can have fun picking up every one of the papers that flown out on impact later.

However, I only manage to get a yard or so away when footsteps creep up behind me.

"…hey, ugly. Is it my imagination or did you just have a lawyer moment? Because it appears to me that your head and your ass interchanged," a vague, quasi-sophisticated voice snarks. "Pull that stunt again and you'll be dealing with me. Got that?"

I freeze and inwardly groan. Oh, gods, no. I swerve around, restraining my fingers from flying up to Wakame's eyes and gorging them out on contact. He's glaring at me with those beady little eyes behind square-framed lenses. Damn bastard puts noxious in obnoxious. Actually, he puts ob in it too.

I throw my arms into the air and twirl around theatrically, stopping to face Wakame. My eyes do a 360 in my sockets. Figures Wakame was still a big fan of that aggrandizing dick.

"Look. Darling. If I have to hear that chant_ Ichi_ more times, I'll personally see to it that the _Juu_ last people who said it are attacked with _Hyaku_ different types of torture instruments _Sen_ times over."

Wakame frowns. "Funny, aren't you?"

"Quite," I snap. "The universal truth of today is quite simple: You're_ late_."

"What are you—"

"It's been three weeks since Manjyome left the Hikari no Kessha. _Three_ weeks. We know, we know... Manjyome is back to complain about his suffix, flaunt around his money, and single-handedly help cause global warming with his VWXYZ machine unions. But we don't have to hear it again three weeks later."

"You don't understand, Tou-san! Wakame has a perfectly good reason for his actions!" a female voice scolds.

"Mh-hmm," agrees a milder, gentler voice. "It's a riot, a rebellion, a war essentially!"

Carrot orange and charcoal black AKA Junko and Momoe arrive on the scene. My guess is that were attracted to the commotion we were causing and hurried over to see what was going on. I gawk at them with my, 'Who's side are you on anyway?' expression.

"..._huhhh_?" My lame proxy for an intelligent question. Momoe takes up my plea.

"Manjyome-san has gathered a group of Obelisk Blue followers to dismantle The Hikari no Kessha piece by piece. He calls it the Manjyome Thunder army!"

Lamesauce name. (I don't say this though.)

"That's right, they're going to win the GX tournament!" Junko affirms proudly. She turns to Kanda, sneering. "So pigs like you better wash their necks for decapitation..." She draws a finger across her throat and snickers.

People laugh with her, especially those who watched Kanda gloat his victory minutes before. Momoe giggles and Wakame smugly crosses his arms.

Kanda is hurt. Those big green eyes of his water up as virtually everyone on campus plays sheep and pick on the odd one out.

I can't laugh. Although Junko and Momoe have always supported me, I feel somewhat betrayed by their words.

To my surprise, Ran sniffs in distaste from behind me. "...dumb sluts..." she mutters. Huh.

I'd venture a suspicion that although she'd nonchalantly throw him both ends of the rope if he was drowning, she has developed a tiny attachment to the kid throughout their numerous battle royales. Misery loves company; Kanda was rejected the same week as Ran was by Ryou. Screaming at each other had been a great method to let loose the pain inside of them neither would admit existed. (Plus, Junko and Momoe are Asuka's best friends and Asuka is the number one rival for her Ryou-sama.)

So I'm almost proud when Ran avant-gardes from the back lines to the crossfire of battle, and uses her heels as a height advantage to loom over the suddenly frowning roommates of Asuka. Wakame and his friends are also taken aback by her femme fatale attitude, if not only because of animalistic nature coming with being a male.

"Ladies—" she simpers. I cut her off. She doesn't have to ruin her reputation for Kanda.

"Just leave the idiotstick alone," I mutter. Ran blinks.

Junko looks at me incredulously. "What's gotten into you, Tou-san? Last week you hated the Hikari no Kessha, and all of a sudden you're defending this geek?"

For some reason, the word 'geek' triggers Kanda's infuriation sensors the way 'trash' does with mine. "_Mnnnng_...I am not a geek!" he protests hotly, balling together his fists, making both me and Ran WTF at him.

(Can someone bring in his denial file? Is there something we need to add?)

"I'm Tou-tan's loyal follower! I'll stay by her until the end of the world because she's my _aneki_!"

The _who_ in the _where_ in the _what_ now.

"Well, well, well. What filthy non-white trash do we have here…?" a not-so-vague, quasi-retarded voice suddenly drawls. "A faggot, a whore, two mindfucks, and ah. Oh, I remember _you_..."

…oh _fuck_. Last thing I need. It's **those** guys. From the Hikari no Kessha. The ones I never managed to un-white despite thoroughly kicking their asses.

Then out of the freakin' blue, Kanda gives everyone a look that I read as '_Screw you guys, I'm getting pie'_. In the second that I blink, he flees into the foliage.

My jaw slacks. Dude, what happened to the end of the world business?

However, my brain doesn't have time to register where or why he just left, as someone grabs my left arm and twists it behind my back. I cringe as a jolt of pain runs through me, accompanied by unwanted body heat as my assaulter moves directly behind me. His other hand encircles in front of me and cups my chin, angling my head just so.

"Little, little bitch..." He squeezes my cheeks. Chills run up my spine as I feel him breathe into my ear. It's _him_...

"Hey! Let her go!" Junko yells angrily.

…ugh...I feel strange… I can't exactly describe this emotion. It's like fear and…well…_shame_…mixed into one. I'm usually fine with physical contact (like my foot up a guy's crotch) and even close intimacy (I mean how many times has Kanda attached himself around my waist?), but this—this just feels…weird. I'm frozen. I'm brain dead. I can't seem to move. I'm...I'm so..._scared_.

Then, out of nowhere, a blur of royal blue materializes next to me—there's a pained hiss from my assaulter when Wakame jerks his hand from my cheeks, holding his arm high in the air with a vice-like grip and a frozen smile.

I feel heat again, though this time it's warm gratitude for Wakame's defense. I suppose…even if he's a complete bastard to me, he's still a gentleman by nature and code of chivalry still functions here. Against other men at least.

"Where are you manners towards girls, Gin?" he teases coldly.

Gin cringes at Wakame's concealed strength. He jerkily uncoils his other arm from my waist and shoves me away to concentrate on punching Wakame with his free fist.

"Tou-san!" Momoe and Junko rush over to me and help me up.

I glance over at the brawl, but to my surprise, it's over already. Truce has been called to the physicality, although the war has just begun to the verbal spat. Of course, of course. This is an island of oral confrontation, not fist-to-fist violence. (I'm exempt from the latter.)

"You aren't great," Wakame laughs. "You're a little housecat that thinks it's the big lion, because it has a master that can protect it."

"I'll make you eat those words," Gin sneers. He gestures to his fingerless sky blue gloves. "Duel me."

Wakame grins an icy cold grin. "Bring it."

Hell is on the edge of breaking out when I intercept the lot of them, much to both of their surprises. I join the smiling contest with a sardonic beam of my own.

"Guys, I'm going to stage an intervention."

"Toukouseki—" Wakame cuts in sharply.

I round on him with a piercing stare. "Wakame-san, I appreciate your concern but this is between him and me. We have a history."

Gin sneers. "Methinks it's time to completely dye the world white! We're gonna defeat the filthy and win the GX tournament. And I'll start with you, bitch. It's payback time!"

"Fanciful bastard aren't you-aisu."

"You won't be talking so high when this duel is over, bitch." He tilts his head and gives me a sick grin. "Actually. When we're done, you'll be using that mouth for something _much_ better!"

"When we're done, I'll crush your other nut!" I shout, his sick words rankling my nerves. I swerve around. Where the hell is my duel disk? Where is my deck? My heart is beating so damned quickly... because if I screw this up, it's adios muchachos for good. Gin...he's scaring me. I don't know why.

And suddenly, I feel empty. I look around me. Everyone here is people I know and connected with on different levels of intimacy. Ran, Junko, Momoe, even Wakame will inwardly root for me over these guys...and yet…I feel like I'm missing someone. Who am I missing? Ryou? My cheeks heat up by the mere thought of his name. Dark blue eyes and cobalt-slate hair…but…

Then out of nowhere, an outsider's voice invades this sanctuary.

"Hey, Momoe, Junko! Hiya!"

I stiffen automatically. A blur of chocolate orange and cherry red whooshes past me, stopping in front of Momoe. Though the person's back is turned away, his distinguishing feature of weirdly-colored spiky hair gives his identity to be none other than Yuuki Juudai. Wow. It's Mr. Playing-card-games-gives-me-the-license-to-do-anything.

Junko tots over to him with a cute beam on her face. To my surprise however, this one is different from the dreamy smile she normally has when interacting with boys. Usually, I see her face glazed with love-stricken infatuation like she's drunk or something. But with Juudai, Junko actually looks sober and in control of what she's doing.

"Hiii… What's up? Wanna buy me another drink this afternoon?"

I raise an eyebrow. Whoa. No shame, huh. What happened to the sweet giggling and sucking up? I glance at Juudai, expecting him to be immediately turned off by Junko's bossy attitude. Instead, and once again to my surprise, Juudai closes his eyes and rubs the back of his head, laughing sheepishly.

"Hahaha…sorry Junko, but I'm totally out of money! Maybe I can borrow some from Shou…"

"Don't bother." Junko waves it off dismissively. She frowns. "Anyway, where is Momoe's Battle City DVD? She promised to lend it to me next! You better not have forgotten it!"

"No, I got it right here!" He relinquishes the tape into Junko's twitchy trigger fingers and then spots Wakame. He grins and waves. "Hi!"

Wakame blinks, mildly shocked, and mechanically raises a hand in formal salutations.

I have a similar reaction, nix the salutations. Juudai is so…_happy_. I swear, I'm practically seeing **:DDD** emoticons float around him.

Having done entertaining Junko with the return of the prospect of watching Seto Kaiba vs. Yuugi Mutou on the big screen, Juudai walks over to Wakame and starts to make small talk with him, flat-out ignoring the Hikari no Kessha's existence, until that bastard speaks up:

"_Are you sweethearts forgetting something_?"

We stare at him in silence until Juudai pipes up. "…yo, Gin. I'd figure that Manjyome already un-whited you. What are you still doing in this crackhouse? Aren't you supposed to be going blind with Gradius or something...?"

Without warning, I burst into giggles.

Had anyone else said that, it would have been a "oh that's a lol comment from the peanut gallery" type of thing. But because Juudai was the one to say those words, the entire situation is positively hysterical. It's his innocence. In addition to the other characteristics I tagged him with Yuuki Juudai is also quite…blunt. Social competence is not his area of expertise so when he says something, he doesn't actually think about it before it comes out of his mouth. Basically, he just vocalized the truth that everyone else is scared of saying.

The Hikari no Kessha is a crackhouse where all its members look stoned.

And Ryusei Gin is nothing more than a video game nerd.

The people around me follow suit and soon enough everyone in the premises, save the thoroughly perplexed Hikari no Kessha cronies who dumbly stared at Gin for what to do, is producing decibels of laugher higher than that of a hundred working jackhammers.

Gin, of course, is furious. "_Shut up_!" roars the President of Nothing Incorporation. "_Shut up every last one of you_!"

"N-no way!" Momoe exclaims, leaning over and clutching her stomach from laughing.

"Cry us a river, why don't you..." Junko adds in with her hand over her forehead, as she tries to stabilize herself on Momoe's shoulder.

"_If you don't all shut the fuck up right now_—"

"Just call it quits," Wakame smirks, his eyes twinkling from behind his glasses, probably acting the most dignified out of us all. "You're a laughing stock right now. Come back when you and your posse regain your dignity...if you ever do, that is."

"World Domination has encountered a momentary setback. Talk amongst yourselves," I can't help but snigger between bouts of laughter. Stupid internet memes; I usually hate following the overdone, but decide that this time is an exception when me and Wakame exchange grins, our rivalry with each other melting away into rapport to fight a common enemy.

Gin gnashes his teeth, his face confronted with livid fury and promises of revenge. "We won't forget this," he vows, pitching his arm into the air for extra emphasis. "The Hikari no Kessha will prevail! The world will be dyed in white! You'll see! You'll all see!"

"... Not if you keep playing Gradius," Juudai comments mildly.

We continue laughing long after the pastiche of a cult departs.

I wipe away a tear of mirth from the creases of my eye. I don't think I laughed so much this entire year.

The crowd is dissipating; some people in Yellow and Red and even a few in Blue come up to Juudai and pats him on the back, telling him things like "Good job" and "You're awesome, man". Juudai nods and returns them with a confused smile.

When nearly everyone is gone, the mood turns back to what it was before Gin had interrupted. I edge towards Juudai. I want to introduce myself to this amazing boy, this boy who I've heard so much about yet never met face to face, who's naive yet overwhelmingly influential at once.

Juudai's glances around, wondering who's left on campus. His peripheral vision is heading towards my direction and is millimeters away from hitting me when Momoe suddenly says, "So… how is he?"

Almost immediately, Juudai loses his happy demeanor. "Not so good…" He rubs the back of his head. "Edo's been too strange these days…"

Within a lightning's bolt strike, I perk up at the mention of Edo's name. Outwardly, I force an extremely mild reaction on my face.

"He won't tell me anything. The other day, I went to his boat but he refused to open up. I know he's out late every night walking around the island…and he's always angry…"

The sudden flashback of our last encounter flickers through my head.

"_Ah...I barely recognized you there…"_

"_Yeah. It's dark-aisu."_

It's true. Edo has been staying out late. But, why then, wasn't he angry at me…?

Juudai finally notices me. "Hey... by the way, we've never be introduced."

I put on my best sweet girl smile. "My name is Tawashi Toukouseki. Pleasure to meet you, Yuuki-kun." I lift the corners of my miniskirt and curtsy as best as I can without giving Wakame a pantyshot.

Those around me raise eyebrows. Juudai nods again, still slightly confused, but nevertheless pleased. "Ah." He smiles. "You don't have to be so formal. You can just call me Juudai…"

"It is only necessary," I cut him off. "We're in debt to you for the return of Manjyome-kun and Tenjoin-kun." I tilt my head forward and humbly lower my eyes to the ground.

Ran and Wakame both stare at me, utterly baffled. Junko and Momoe are more relaxed; they've known me longer.

"You seem like a carefree guy, yet you worry so much about your friends."

His eyes sparkle. "You really think so?" Then the blithe dissolves, he hunches his shoulders and pout-sighs. "It's just that Edo…Edo Phoenix, by the way. I'm sure you've heard of him. Big Pro-League duelist," he elucidates and I nod to show I understand, "…he's been through so much in his childhood. I think he's hurting more now than ever."

"His father was murdered," I murmur quietly.

Juudai looks at me, shocked. "You heard?"

"He told me."

"Oh, wow," he comments. "He doesn't tell that to many individuals. Most people just hear it from the media."

Frowning, I knit my eyebrows together.

Juudai sighs. "What I'm really worried about is the satellite keys—"

"…_ANIKI_!"

I see Juudai's expression turn into horror, and he scarcely has enough time to dart out of the path of Kanda the Hugbear. Kanda scoops thin air and looses balance, but rapidly recovers and is at it again. Juudai eeps as he makes mad dashes away from the fanatical loon.

Momoe, Junko and Ran all have the same endearing thoughts: "...that idiot".

Wakame snorts, irritated and amused at once.

I vaguely smile. So Juudai is the enigmatic "Aniki" person that sycophant keeps jabbering about. Yes, Kanda. And once he rips off his shirt revealing his rippling muscles and a birthmark that proves he's _not_ your brother…

…

I feel my happiness fading away.

I know who I was missing now. It was Edo. I remember now… I felt empty without his guidance. Whenever I had a duel, I always had a vague suspicion in the corner of my mind that Edo was watching it somewhere. Like the duel with Ran. I didn't even see him until he decided to make his presence known.

_He'slikemyguardianangel. _

But I didn't have this feeling today when I was about to duel Gin. He's not here. I didn't feel his hidden presence anywhere.

And right now, around all these people who I can call my friends and rivals, followers and acquaintances—I never felt so alone in my life.

Edo…


	2. 6

"_Aiiiya_!"

I can dance, y'know. I'm no professional, but I do possess the ability to dance. Actually, dancing is easy for me. I have a lot of grace and a lot of versatility with my legs probably because I can kick higher than most people can sing. My favorite style must be capoeira. Even though I never took a lesson in my life, I learned the art from this American dance competition television show I watch every Wednesday night after I finishing my homework. I can't understand heads or tails of what the host or contestants are chitterling about, but the Japanese subtitles save me from the hideous downside of monolingual-ism.

So I'm practicing my dancing/kickboxing/tree-smashing in the woods near the first place I encountered Ryou all those weeks back. (Ok, ok, I admit now I'm just destroying the foliage. But before, I was in fact _dancing_. I just got bored of it real fast.)

Ran and Kanda normally tags along, except today, Ran smartly announces that Kanda "is going fishing with his Aniki and his friends" which I translate as "Kanda is shooting down Marufuji's kid bro and dino breath with a chain gun by the pier" because in _all honesty_, Kanda suffers from an over-possessive complex the way Junko and Momoe gasps in unadulterated horror every time they spot someone wearing a brown belt and black shoes together. Gods, I pity Juudai. The fish too. Their water will be contaminated when those dead bodies are thrown in the sea. As for Ran herself, she's going to join the Manjyome Thunder Army, which strikes me as mad weird. When I question why, she just gives me one of those Looks with an unspoken L, meaning "Don't ask, darling". (I asked. She just gave me another look and promptly left, but not before administrating a trademark hair flip™.)

"_Aiiiya_! _Aiiiya_!"

Wood splinters in front of me. I turn my head to the side to avoid getting blinded by the flying specks. (Wouldn't want to end up like Gin.)

Anyway, I'm by myself, kicking rather than dueling because frankly I'm sick of dueling, sick of trying to be the best at something I'm just not good at. I don't want to think about it, alright? Just...just..._whatever_. I'll deal with my dueling problems some other time. Besides, it's the end of the year. I don't feel like trying something new when the old is just about to close up. I already quit the GX tournament _ages_ ago. Screw the medals, screw the wins, I'm so tired of this. Maybe next year I'll figure something out, but this year? Meh. _Forget about it_.

Mhhnn.

..._mhhnn_.

...oh fine. The real reason why I don't want to think about dueling is because...well...when I think about it, I automatically associate it with Edo. (Gah! The demon word!)

I tell myself not to worry about whatever is going on with him; that I have no reason to be concerned about someone who shouldn't be in my life. Edo's a Pro-League duelist, after all, and I'm...I'm just a plain and ordinary girl. Why would I care about his problems? Why _should _I care? He probably has a million people fretting over the hair on his suit. Juudai is one of those million. And if you had the island's hero at your whim, who else would you possibly need?

"_Aiiiya_! _Aiiiya_! _Aiiiiii-ya_!"

I remove my foot from the tree trunk and inspect the fruits of my labor for the past twenty minutes while so lost in thought. There's a hole in it large enough to fit a squirrel family and a pound of acorns. Man, I'm good.

Registering that the hole looks like a foothold and the tree's branches look like stairs, I get this smart idea into my head to climb the tree and take a rest up there. I end up scratching myself quite a few times on my way up, but quickly brush it off since it's not as if I don't have a handful of bruises and cuts littering my anti-runway model legs.

I find a sturdy branch that can support my weight and prop myself on it. What a nice view it is from here. My stomach unexpectedly grumbles and I put a hand over my tummy to silence it. Quiet, you. I want that two-piece swimsuit to fit by July.

Suddenly, a blast comes from my left, followed by a column of smoke protruding from the tips of the trees. I quickly adhere my attention to it and pry apart some branches to get a peek of what's going on.

Luck be it, I see a person in a light-ish looking suit donning that ever so familiar mullet haircut. Why hello, Mr. Phoenix. How do you do? And how do you do?

A rush of déjà vu crashes over me. This is just like all those other times before... with me lurking around and observing the commotion via the hideouts in warped trees. I squint. Edo seems to have just won a duel against another person, a pro, is my guess, seeing as he's not dressed in a Duel Academia uniform.

But Edo...he seems different this time. There is no arrogance in his stance, no slick, sleek movements of confidence in his actions. Edo has this panache of distress to him that, like, engraved into his DNA. Like he's hyped up on drugs. He snatches the duel disk from his opponent seconds post-duel and begins to flick through it, searching for something. His face ages with each second that ticks by and whatever he's searching for doesn't materialize. Then, in a fit of unbridled rage, he flings the entire deck into the wind.

For the briefest of seconds, I encounter another nostalgic sense of déjà vu. Ryou's voice echoes in my mind, and I'm bombarded with a scene that took place not so long ago. Power Wall. 19 cards, all thrown into the sky, forgotten, fluttering like dying bugs.

I'm jolted out of my revere by a strangled cry. Edo has his defeated opponent by the front of his shirt and is snarling into his face in a deadly soft voice I can't hear. On the other hand, the pro is loud and clear.

"I have no idea where the card is! I swear! I, I just, I—"

Edo tosses him to the side and begins to strut away. I see him close his eyes, looking terribly tired, as if it's taking all of his energy just to force one foot in front of the other. His opponent stares at him, lip quivering, before mustering enough courage to scat away without second thought of his cards.

Drawn by curiosity to Edo's odd behavior and the possibility of free Duel Monsters cards, I slide down the tree, hardly noticing that my gaucherie has granted me yet another slash on the side of my thigh. Small pearls of blood dribble down my leg as I slip towards ground zero and quickly gather the cards left by the pro.

I quickly glance through the goods. What the heck is Sanctuary of Sky? It looks like this guy played an angel deck.

Once I've safely stored away the cards in my pocket, I pursue Edo, where ever the heck he's going. I'm only a shadow's length away of him when I step on a twig that breaks under my weight with a noticeable 'crack'.

Immediately Edo swerves around; his shoulder-length hair flying like silver whips against the night's backdrop. "Who's there?" he demands, before landing eyes on me. He squints and then blinks as I come closer and my sausage-shaped hair gives away my identity.

"Oh, sorry. Hey," he mutters in a pseudo-friendly manner, quickly looking away.

I pick up my miniskirt and curtsy, albeit awkwardly. "...'night. May I ask what happened back there-aisu?"

He plays dumb. "Back where?"

"Your duel."

"Nothing. You caught me at a bad time."

I tilt my head. "Phoenix-kun."

He inserts his hands into his pockets and shambles around a bit. "Look, I'm calling it a night. You should too." An awkward nod. Shifting eyes. Head down. A sigh under his breath.

"Phoenix-kun," I repeat again, moving and acting and sounding ever so much like, like one of those _gentle_ goody-two-shoes girls you see in romance movies with _long _hair and a _pretty _white dress. Pleading with the hero. Trying to break down his barrier with her song-like voice and delicate movements.

When Edo doesn't reply, I continue.

"Your father was a card designer," I echo a memory that stirred within me. "He created that deck you're using. He was murdered, you said. Does he have to do with…that duelist back there?" I gesture in the general direction behind me.

"It's none of your concern," he replies with an air of feigned nonchalance. "Don't bother yourself with such things."

I frown at the verbal backhand. "I just wanted to know. I just wanted to help, that's all, Phoenix-kun." I glance away meekly. "…couldn't you be kinder?"

He looks at me. "I don't need your help."

"Why do you act so different around me? Is it because I'm a girl?"

"Toukouseki…just go home."

And suddenly, suddenly, I'm really angry at Edo. Here I am, actually spending my time and energy worrying about him and he has the audacity just to brush it off. Who the hell does he think I am? I'm not one of those dime a dozen girls.

"You're a bundle of motherfucking sunshine, Phoenix-kun," I croon happily, closing my eyes and putting on a beaming visage that could vie his mask of indifference any day.

Edo does a double take, before narrowing his eyes and frowning. "…what?" he asks hesitantly as if he didn't hear what I just said. He heard, alright. We both know that. We also both know he just doesn't believe it.

_Y'know, if you would just **grow **a pair it would solve everything in an instant,_ I want to tell him. _So until your next fantastic demonstration of your complete **lack** of testicular fortitude… _My thoughts trail off there. Rather than speaking my mind, I tread forward and close the gap between us. I feel his physical body heat and metaphorical mental barriers zoom up with every step I take towards him.

"The rest of it was really good too." I screw my face into a pout and mimic his voice. "'I duel for justice.' 'My dad was murdered.'" The smile returns. "You managed to save face _and _gain my sympathy. You're a regular genius."

By now Edo realizes there's something wrong. "What are you_ talking_ about?" he grits out between clenched teeth.

"You have a goddamned messiah complex, you bastard," I hiss.

His eyes harden. "Whether you like it or not, fighting crime is something I'm going to do. I don't think I'm god, but I _am_ a hero. I _am _justice."

So now we're in _that _headspace again. "_Batman_," I say flatly.

"I don't expect you to understand. I do, however, would appreciate it if you would _respect_ my decisions."

"Are you the one helping people on the island?" I counter. "No, I think those positions are reserved to Manjyome-san and Yuuki-san..."

"I'm not talking about small-fry here! The big crimes—robberies, murders—"

"Your D-heroes can stand up against an _AK-47_?" I exclaim in false shock.

"_Shut up!"_ Blue eyes blaze. "You _fool_... you had a normal, happy childhood! You don't know my pain, so don't act like you understand it or understand me!"

"You talk so much about justice. Bringing criminals down and maintaining order in the world. The guy you fucked up back there…exactly what did he do wrong to deserve that kind of treatment?"

"_Mind your own business_."

"You're such a hypocrite-aisu," I growl.

"I fail to see why _you_ care in the first place!" he snaps back.

"I—" I stop, frowning. "Who cares why I do! You're going off topic!"

"Off topic?" he scoffs. "Ha! You don't even have a reason to be angry at me!" Edo turns away, ready to leave. "Just quit while you're ahead, Toukouseki, before you embarrass yourself like you always do."

Then my fist connects with his face. It wasn't so much out of anger as it just was out of satisfaction of retaliating with physical strength rather than words. Even though the punch wasn't hard nor did it knock him off his feet or anything, I probably would have beaten him up until candy came out like a piñata, if his eyes weren't so frighteningly narrowed and ablaze with spite I have never seen in him before.

"…you did_ not_ just…" he trails off, laughing bitterly. "Fine. _Fine_. You want to be like that? It's your funeral." He spits on the ground, yet again, doing something I have never seen before. "Have fun living out the rest of your miserable life, psycho."

His expression holds so much anger: frustration, wrath, hatred, all of it is just splattered across his face like an open bucket of paint flung across a white canvas.

"For the record: Don't even _think_ about challenging me to another duel or even talking to me for that matter," He takes a step forward, baring his teeth just a bit. "Actually, I'll file a restraining order if I even see your face again, and believe me, that's just the beginning. I'll crush your reputation and get you expelled from the academia so that no dueling circuit will ever again want to accept you—"

At this point, I lose track of what he's saying. Out of self-fortification, my conscience mutes out the rest of his words lest I suddenly undergo from a multiple personality seizure. I'm so numb in shock that I barely realize I've sunken to my knees all the while he spits out all the things he'll do to me and continues shooting bullet after bullet into my body. Edo realizes it, though, because at some point, he stops abruptly and searches my face for any sign of acknowledging what he's saying. Once it sinks in that my lost expression signifies I'm all but breathing slab of meat without any sense of what's being thrown at me, he smirks. A cold, cruel, and sadistic smirk crosses his face.

It's like…with Hell Kaiser… I almost expect an utterance of "Pathetic" from the boy looming prominently over me that I'm on my knees in front of. My brain vaguely registers Edo turning a heel and walking away from me.

At this point, I realized solely using words are for naught.

I seize his arms and yank them behind him. He resists, muttering a thread of phrases that sounds like "what are you—?" and "…crazy bitch…" and I would have socked it to him good had we been in any other situation, but here? Now? I dictate him every right to call me foul words of his choice.

Suddenly, this intense feeling of depression overwhelms me. I lean forward and press my mouth to his ear.

—_I'm so sorry—girls aren't supposed to do this_—_I feel ashamed—I feel like I belong in a mental hospital—physical violence is reserved for guys—_

"You know what I want to tell you? You know what I want to tell you? I want to tell you how much I looked up to you…and…I wanted to bring up what I said before about not being like you."

—_I'm the Japanese one—I'm supposed to achieve a perfect status—I'm supposed to be the stern, serious one with a noble demeanor—I'm supposed to be mature and respected and socially appropriate—_

"I wanted to tell you that it's true, I'm not like you, and I don't have this—this—_altruistic _reason to duel…and…and…you want to know the reason why I duel? I duel because it's the only thing that makes sense to me! All of the world's hypocrisies and controversies, all of the opinions I don't understand and sides I can't take—they all lie in tatters when the duel is over and I stand as the victor."

—_you're American—you're supposed to be all about potato chips and cola—and BBQ's and teen idols—and sarcasm up to the wazoo—and whining and complaining about nothing—and jolly laidback goodness—_

"You tell me to use my brain, but the more I fucking think, the more I don't _get it_. Not everyone has a clear set goal in life, Edo! I'm lost, I'm confused! _This_ is what I wanted to tell you. But I'm not going to tell you it—"

—_then __**why **__is our positions switched?_

Edo hisses when I instinctively tighten my grip.

"—because of your fucking defenses. I want you to know that you brought it upon yourself."

I set my forehead on his back, feeling the sharp edge of his shoulder blades poke my cheek. I draw in a breath and try to stop myself from sobbing out of pure frustration. The next time I speak, my voice has lowered into a tired mutter.

"The harder I push, the harder you push back. All the yelling in the world won't get you to say anything. I know that you hate it when somebody knows too much about you. When you take someone's hand, you'll expose your weakness. It's like a piece of you inside is dying every time you expose a secret that is just for yourself."

—_there is no faux pas here—in the wildness—in the darkness—you don't have to worry about what society thinks of you now— _

"…if I were to say, 'You're just like me', you'd automatically deny it. You don't think anyone in the world has suffered as much as you have, has the same personality and ethics as you. You don't want to degrade yourself to my level: imperfect, inelegant, lost, desperate—desperate to get on solid ground."

—_I hate that you have to be this way—_

"If you were to turn around, you'll see my face and all you'll feel is boiling anger for me. 'She thinks she's my therapist? My psychologist? What makes her so special to be the only person I'll open up to when so many others have attempted in the past?' It's then that jealousy, irritation, hatred seeps through."

—_fuck you, Edo, just fuck you—_

I stop. There's a long pause.

"Pretend I am not a person. I have no reputation, no emotions, no nothing attached. Pretend I am just the wind in the air. Can you hate something like the wind? Let your hatred blow away."

I let go of him. He quickly regains his footing and staggers away from me. He throws me a wary glance; his shoulders heave, his breathing is harsh and ragged. I take a step forward and gently touch my chest with my fingers.

"Crying has long since gained your pity. So what will it take for me to get through? How many more tirades do I have to say to get you to finally give up? To break your willpower? To stop you from turning a heel and leaving?"

I shake my head.

"Please. Just tell me. I…I like pretending too. Tomorrow is a new day, you know? I like to pretend the previous nights' events didn't happen…but…everyone needs to try something new whether it may turn out to hurt us or help us...that's what life is about. Experiences. That's what makes us human."

—_Kanda? Dumb idiotstick, but thanks for your wisdom_—

Edo runs his fingers through his hair, avoiding my eyes.

"I..."

He stops, unable to complete his sentence. Eloquent Edo Phoenix is stumbling around for words. Can't blame him really. Speech patterns often depend on the person you're conversing with and I'm not exactly the most coherent or logically connected of speakers.

"I don't act differently around _just_ you," he finally admits. "Whenever I'm around people of different status, I'm in a different context, and need another set of obligations and requirements for my behavior. You should understand that more than anyone else; you're of Japanese descent."

I nod. Even though he's answered my question clear and straightforwardly, there is no relief, no feeling the lift of a burden off my chest. I feel so…mentally drained. I can't read his expression anymore, not because he's hidden it, but because I no longer have any energy deciphering subtlety.

"…I'm a girl without a brain, you're a man without a heart, maybe we should take a trip to Oz," I say.

He simply looks at me with sad eyes.

Silence. Silence. Silence.

We stay in it for at least several minutes, though the silence is only referring to the lack of exchanging of words. The world around us continues to move. The crickets don't stop their brisk mantra of chirping and the breeze doesn't stop whipping around my pigtails. When I move my foot to shift into a more comfortable position, the fresh patch of grass I step on makes a swishing sound beneath my weight. When you scratch the back of your neck, a flurry of pink Sakura blossoms land on your suit because your elbow bumped into the tree trunk behind you.

Don't you see, Edo? You're just like me…and the rest of mankind. Even if you freeze, the world continues to turn around us. You're not omnipotent, you're not Jesus or God or whatever those absurd western Christians believe in.

After several minutes are up, impatience begins to bug me. You, with your calm and collected demeanor, have probably sat through hours of silence, but as for me, I got no endurance. It's as if you know I'm on the edge of running out of patience, because you open your mouth and say one word:

"…Toukouseki."

You break the silence.

"A lot of people have tried to know me. 'Get past my defenses', as you put it. I think you're the first to…"

"Actually get through?" I blurt out, the surge of hopefulness behind my words clear and evident as broad daylight.

Edo blinks. "…be so persistent."

I hang my head.

"Alright. Just hear me out. I mean…" He stops again, so lost for words. "You're..."

Ah, now I get it. Edo doesn't have a hard time finding the right words to say, but moreover, he's having a hard time saying what he wants to and being polite at the same time. Not like me. I'm very blunt with my words and actions. He knows I have a fiery temper and anything vaguely offensive—no matter how true or relevant it is—can set me off. Edo doesn't want me to interrupt him but knows if he says it straight out I'll take it as a hit like he's trying insinuate something.

"I won't interrupt," I fill him in.

He nods understandingly. He takes a breath.

"Look. I met lots of girls in my life…some of them are funny, some of them are mature. I've had fanatical fangirls clinging to my arms and ranting about wanting to _marry_ me" —he shoots me a glance to convey that this isn't some covet bragging session— "to women three years older than me with an air of sophistication like you won't believe. I've met girls who are shy, and girls who are brash. You're…like all of the girls I've met combined into a single person. You're unique."

"Don't worry, you're one of a kind too-aisu," I mumble, pouting. It was supposed to be a snappy comeback, but turned out sounding petulant.

"You're cute," he says out of the blue.

I look up, startled.

He hastily clarifies, "N-not in that way." He blinks again, realizing the severity of what he just said. "I, I, mean, you _are_ cute, but, uh…"

And I wonder if he corrected himself because he knows I'm a master of snatching insults from the jaws of a compliment and will punt him in the head for saying anything bad about my looks. Or maybe he corrected himself because he really means it.

"—_like a kid_!" Edo proclaims, relieved to find the right words. "I know you're older and all and I most certainly are not trying to belittle you or anything…"

I look at him like he has three 666's on his head. Here I am in a metaphorical curled up in the fetal position and he _continues_ to kick me in the nose, ears, and throat?

Edo scratches his nose awkwardly.

"You know what, Toukouseki? This is going to sound weird but you're amusing to be with. You're easily provoked by my taunts and you throw tantrums over the smallest of things…"

"_What's your point_," I deadpan, staring at him as if he had just announced it was the end of the world as we know it and **he** was the only person on earth with a private one-man space shuttle which he was going to use to repopulate the human race on Mars.

Edo takes the hint and holds his hands up in defense. "Hey, I know you won't like what I'm about to say…but…well." He shrugs. "You were always like a little sister to me."

… ..holy fricking_ trauma_ batman there are like_ eighteen_ things wrong with that sentence.

I gawk at him as my mind tries to register his words. "I'm o-older than you," I finally manage to stutter.

"…I know."

"I'm taller, bigger, and stronger than you."

He sort of cringes. "Toukouseki—"

"I considered you my rival! My equal! How could you—"

"It's not an insult!" Edo blurts. "I like having you around!"

His words cut through the air.

Truth is, being accepted by Edo Phoenix is a high-classed honor for anyone, even me. In addition to his reputation and multiple talents, he's a hard person to get close to. How many people could actually brag about being on more than an acquaintance level with him? The fact he plainly admitted he enjoyed my presence… I mean, I should hate him for it, yet I can't help but feel special.

I unconsciously bring a hand to my chest. It feels warm. My hand balls into a fist.

But he's still a pulchritudinous red carpet _prick_.

"…do you mean that-aisu?" I ask him quietly.

He nods, quickly averting my eyes. "I mean it, Toukouseki. I like you."

With that, I want to break down and fling myself into his arms and hug him tightly like I never wanted to let go and break his bones at the same time, because I love him and hate him all at once. Edo Phoenix, you stupid prick, prick, prick, prick, _prick_. But I restrain myself.

"Thank you..." I mumble instead.

Edo scratches the back of his head. "Heck, I think you'd make a pretty good therapist, you know, if...dueling doesn't take you where you want in life." A shrug. An awkward smile.

"_Never,_" I reply hotly, folding my arms across my chest. "Did you know that the therapist is a compound word for 'the rapist'?"

He smiles. "Alright, if you insist."

"It's scientific fact."

"Whatever you say, Toukouseki-san…"

"_Heeey._ If you're pulling out the -san card then I'm pulling out the Phoenix-kun card, and that trumps the Toukouseki-san card."

He blinks, then chuckles. "Right, right… I forgot… I'm a foreigner after all." A silly smile.

"You're such a curious person..."

Now _this_ befuddles me. I gawk at him in WTFery. "I complain a lot. I'm whiny, loud, and obnoxious. I can't duel. I don't have a solid personality." I uncross my arms and plant my hands on my waist. "All I really do have is a pair of hooters which solidifies my sex on paperwork and apparently gives _you _the license to call me your little sister!"

Edo merely smiles. "That's what people call being curious."


	3. 7

I recently got this mad awesome video game.

My parents gave it to me as a graduation gift.

* * *

It's sometime after breakfast when Kanda runs up to me, looking like he's going to exclaim, '_Tou-tan, I have discovered a universe where your eggheadedness is celebrated and your cheddar cheese thighs are overlooked_!' But he does no such thing. Instead, he announces,

"Gin likes you."

JesusChristridingonabicycle_what_—

My trigger fingers let go of the face buttons for a _split _second—and that second is enough for virtual faceless zombie nurses sporting large cleavages and equally large syringes to stab my character with their needles of doom. Repeatedly. When my mind can comprehend what's going on, the screen cuts to white noise static and a bloody 'Game Over' before going completely black.

Well, dammit.

—_I'mgonnatokillhimI'mgonnatokillhimI'mgonnatokillhim— _

Whilst restraining myself from murdering Kanda, the boy in question continues undaunted, "I overhear him talking about you a lot."

"Don't care, go away," I snap back, swearing to serve his guts cafeteria style in dirty silverware one of these days. I flick the power switch of my handheld console to restart it.

"Aren't you the least bit interested? About what he says about you?"

"No."

"You're lyyyyying."

"Go away."

Cue the puppy dog eyes. "But—"

"_AWAY_."

He went away. I also wanted to tell him to drop the whole '-tan' suffix thing because it had reached the point where it was getting pedestrian, but decided to save my breath as the guy had like, lost_ function_ of his ears at birth or something. He's crazier than I thought. Once you think you've reached the bottom of his craziness, there's a crazy underground garage. He doesn't ever listen, so verbalizing restraints won't do me good. I'll just have to kick him the face next time he adresses me by 'Tou-tan'.

Hah! _That'll _teach you, Generic McPlain Wrap!

* * *

A few minutes later, Momoe and Junko arrive to badger me with their ten-dollar words. It's not just Momoe. Or Junko. But _both _Momoe and Junko. They're always together. I swear, they're like Siamese twins joined by their overly-excited personalities.

"We think you should get a boyfriend!" Momoe announces blithely, looking so cheerful you could carve sunshine out of her.

... And for the second time that day, I'm greeted with the 'Game Over'/white noise static combo. The preppy twins look concerned when I hurl my arms into the air and create rainbows arches with them accompanied by a variety of curse words for color.

"I appreciate your concern, Makita-kun. Hamaguchi-kun," I tell them once I calm down. "…but…no. I don't want a boyfriend. Really."

This doesn't register in their minds. "Why?" asks Junko.

"Because I don't like boys," I half-lie.

"She likes girls!" Kanda helpfully exclaims, popping up out of Nowhereland.

I hurl a rock at him. "_SHUT UP KANDA-KUN_!"

He shuts up. Momoe and Junko stare at the clump of bushes that once harbored Kanda's head before rounding back to me.

"So anyway... we're thinking that maybe you would be interested in seeing Wakame."

I think they've seemed to confuse my allergic reaction for interest. "No."

"Oh, come on. I know he and you got off on the wrong foot, but it's all good now, isn't it?" says Momoe. "And if you really want proof this is a match made in heaven, he's already attracted to you."

I stare at her as if to ask _'you having your stroke in **installments**_?' Because there's a snowball's chance in hell _that_ ever happened.

"Uh-huh, he said so himself! He said 'Yeah, she isn't so bad...blah, blah...she's not bad looking. Has a nice...' Um..." She giggles.

"..." (I swear this girl has been swinging from powerlines.)

"Sorry, it's just funny, hehehe."

My brow crinkles. "I've got nice... nice what?" I demand. Pair of tits? Funbags? Golden apples handcrafted by god? I mentally run through every single variation of 'breasts' known to mankind.

"...face."

Houston, give me a charisma check for 'punch line dot dot dot silence c'mon let's laugh at Toukouseki!'.

I turn away from them. They can't see my expression but sensed there is a 95% change my expression denotes emo.

"You're no fun. Honestly, Toukouseki, you're so _boring _sometimes." I hear Junko huff and can imagine that she's put her hands on her hips and puckered her lips into an 'o' so that she resembles an octopus.

If that was supposed to hurt, it didn't even sting. "Yeah, what can I say? I'm a blanket 'fuck you' clause," I reply rather callously.

"We're just trying to help you. We want you to be happy," pleads Momoe.

"I'd be happy if you gals would just vamoose-aisu."

I turn around and smile. They look upset.

"If you insist on being this way... then fine," is Junko's last words before she and Momoe departs, each of them casting hurt looks behind as their goodbye.

I try not to feel guilty.

* * *

Half an hour passes after the crocks to cheer me up before Ran struts up to me while I'm once again pattering away at my video game, trying the final level in the mental asylum hospital. Damn zombie nurses.

"Guess what?" she snarks, arms akimbo, clearly irritated.

"Porn?"

Unfazed by my stale sarcasm, she states, "Ryou left the island."

I glance at Ran who stares back at me haughtily. The emotions our eyes reveal speak for themselves. Frowning, I shut off my video game and rise from the bench I'm seated in. Ran follows me as I walk towards the myriad of trees. It's a windy day, and our hair blows which way directions as we take a walk through the forest.

"He just... left?" I echo. "Did he lose a duel or something?" I ask even though I know there's no way in hell that could be the case.

"Ryou-sa - _he _doesn't lose duels. So that couldn't have been the case. It's _shouldn't_ have been the case," she scoffs. _Coulda, shoulda, prada_.

Except to Edo, of course. But I don't mention this.

"So he just left like that. What the hell happened to his medals?" And I have no idea why I even care about the medals since Manjyome pretty much monopolized every medal on the island.

"Do you still love him?" Ran suddenly pipes up.

I inwardly freeze. Outwardly, I regard her with a look that suggests she was an unidentified species of land sharks. "..._huh_?" I fake disgust.

She rolls her eyes. "Don't try to hide it, hun. I've seen through you since the beginning. You were_ infatuated_ with him. Would have never guessed he was your type either," she adds in as an afterthought.

Y'know. I don't think she's purposely being snarky with that last comment, but the previously combined efforts of Dorky McDork and the Gossip Dolittle Duo and their botched attempt to make me ... happy ... really did a number on my patience span. Is she_ proud _that she figured out my big fat secret? Oh my lord Toukouseki has a crush... and it's Marufuji Ryou! It took a genius to figure **that **one out. Give yourself a pat on the back, Ran. Part of me really wants to ask her if she's wearing her smarty pants because holy crap Slutenna, name a girl on this island who hasn't had a crush on Ryou Marufuji, resident unredeemed but retired good guy and local source of one too many heartthrobs. And I damn **hope **you know every time you exclaim the obvious Satan lines up one more fat man to sodomize you in hell_. _But I resist this urge, only because Ran isn't wearing pants, she's wearing a skirt - which means she's not wearing smarty pants, but a pretty witty thong.

...why do I even_ bother_ talking to myself sometimes?

"Well, at least I was more subtle about my feelings than you," I tell the daft, grudgingly accepting that I'll gain nothing from lying... and anyway, I'll never see her ever again after the next couple of days. She's a third year, right? That means she graduates and will be out of my life forever.

"Shut up," she grits out, "I didn't invite you to a bitch brunch, you know."

Frowning, I mutter an apology. I opt for a change of subject to break the sour tension between us.

"You're graduating in less than a week. What are you plans for the future?"

I remember her once mentioning something about the Pro-Leagues in the very beginning of the year, way before I actually met her. I think it was during her duel with Ryou's little whatshisface brother.

Surprisingly, she does not firmly state she's going to be an anorexic runway model pop star duelist with her own clothing line. Instead, she bites out a sigh. "I don't know."

"He really screwed you over, didn't he?" I utter without thinking, earning another exasperated glare from her.

It's true, though. She's an emotional train-wreck because of him. But in reality, that cyber sissy bastard is the reason why Ran and I are friends. Both of our worlds came crashing down at the same point in time, everything we thought was the truth and reality flattened cruelly by steamrollers. We experienced our revelations, our awakenings, our rebirths from our little fantasy dreamlands into the cold hard world where maybe, just maybe _Ryou doesn't love you Ran and Edo will never ever take you seriously, Tou. _Weakened and emotionally fragile, the two of saw that the other was in the same state as herself and we unconsciously drifted together to get over our heartbreaks... because after all, doesn't misery love company? And in the end, all we have left is our scars.

"Are we friends?" I suddenly ask, rounding to her with a serious look, as if I know what I'm talking about even if I'm as confused as she is.

The glare vanishes and in its place is a frown and a raised eyebrow. _Where did **that **come from_, reads her expression.

I keep my gaze steady on her, not wavering the tiniest bit.

The weirded out look morphs yet again, and this time into a fed up shrug and a shake of the head. "You're crazy."

Duck down and hide from the question. Yeah, that really works ...for _ostriches_.

"Where you going?" I ask when she makes a poorly concealed beeline towards the girl dorms.

"Going to take a shower," she responds briskly.

Anyone else would think she's primping herself up to put her goods out on the open market again. I know she's just creeped out by my weirdness today.

Not bothering to cover up my disappointment, I half-heartedly wave at her. "Well, bye then, I guess."

Hearing my frustration, she stops walking and glances back at me uncomfortably, feeling a bit of guilt at her brusque attempt to leave. She brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. "...I heard some rumors about some guys planning revenge on everyone who messed with them." A nonchalant shrug. "Just letting you know."

I don't even pretend to look interested. "Moo."

Put down that I didn't care, she proceeds with her original plan. "Yeah. Catch you later."

Then she leaves, and I feel confused, bitter, and depressed all at once.

Ne, Marufuji-kun. Why did you have to leave anyway? Don't you know you're hurting people? Me, your brother ... Ran?

And I think to myself, if this day gets any better by noon I should be rolling in glass.

* * *

Hours pass.

There's like… three days left before summer vacation. The Genex tournament is just about done. Most of the visiting Pro Duelists are kicking back and relaxing at the Obelisk dorms, seeing no reason to stress themselves out any further. The teachers have had a no-teaching pass for about a good month or so now and heavens if I know or care what Chronos or Kabayama or Satou-sensei is doing. As for the students: they're backing Saint Manjyome the Savior with the parading flags and the gung-ho chanting and hunting down the remaining handful of Hikari no Kessha wingnuts, or they're said wingnuts trying to escape the inevitable fate of having their spines flayed on hot racks. (Okay, really, they just get challenged to duels until they're un-whited.)

Or they're like me, not really giving a damn about the **DORAMA** and resigning themselves to believing they've got a life-time membership to the loser's club for being associated (no matter how insignificantly) with the craziness in the first place.

Because, c'mon. Seriously.

Last year we had the abandoned dorm which was literally a brothel of dark occult energy, magic, alternate dimensions, old smells, and cat hair.

This year, we just had... not even going there.

It was one fucked up year.

...And let's just leave it at that.

_Sigh._

With nothing to do, I amble around, picking dandelions from the dirt, humming my favorite American rock song, testing out just how high I can kick without resorting to raising my tippy-toes, trying my hand at my zombie-killing video game only to lose for the umpteenth time that day with that goddamned white noise screen _mocking me_, taking out my terribly disregarded deck and flicking through each card, wondering just what the hell I'm doing in this school if I can't even do the thing that justifies the core curriculum anymore. Dueling was the central point of my life for so long. It was the only thing I wanted to do. On my fourteenth birthday, I pompously announced to my parents that I was going to become a Pro Duelist when I grow up. But now... now virtually into my third year at the world's best dueling school, I can only wonder if I was simply hyped up on birthday cake when I was fourteen or if I didn't know that my potential wasn't as bountiful as I had originally thought. Well, the fruit didn't fall far from that tree. Yeah. Just _magnificent_.

Hey, God?

Which lever do I pull to get crushed by a safe dropping from the sky?

* * *

Whatever I said early this morning about kicking Kanda in the face next time he '-tan'-ed me is null when I end up shoving my foot into some guy's side so he'd stop choking Kanda by the collar.

(What is his _track record_ with these things? Does he go around wearing a sign that says **HIT ME**?)

It doesn't help that I found out I had kicked Goki, Wakame's friend and fellow Manjyome groupie.

"...sorry-aisu. But you were... kinda threatening him, and stuff," I mumble, sheepishly giving him a tissue to wipe away the dust on his face. It's not easy to do especially with Kanda invading my proxmity as if he were a dog and I was an open can of doggy chow. He clings onto my backside like a leech.

Goki's a nice guy, actually. Tough on the outside, but he's a big teddy bear once you get past the fact he looks like a common thug. That, or he was scared of me. Or maybe he's stunned I apologized so many times. Or maybe he's simply too angry to say anything and socking me in the face would be against the unspoken high school law of **don't hit girls**. Whatever the reason, I'm not spared of a sarcastic lecture seeing as Wakame is far less chivalric than his counterpart.

"You know, your oratory is really something to be desired. Does everyone in your family attack first and then ask questions, or are you just special?"

... You're a_ real_ piece of work, mister. If hell ever needs an ambassador, they'll know who to call.

"It was an _accident_-aisu. I heard someone screaming my name, so naturally I came. What were you harassing him for anyway?"

"We weren't harassing him... I wanted to duel him," grumbles Goki, still rubbing his side.

"I s-said I didn't want to duel!" comes Kanda's panicky reply, looking at Goki like he's Jesus with a magnifying glass and he was an ant.

"He's one of the few people who are still in the Hikari no Kessha," said psuedo-diety points out.

Oh right. That Manjyome...thing.

"And it's not as if he blends in with the crowd..." Wakame gestures at Kanda's stark white uniform.

"Don't make me duel, Tou-tan!" Kanda protests, glancing nervously around, looking for ways to stonewall having to duel.

...

...

...Tou-_tan_.

**_FOR THE LOVE OF PUPPIES AND SMALL FLUFFY KITTENS AND BABIES AND ALL THEIR ASSEMBLED PREDECESSORS_—_!!!_**

Rather calmly, I club Kanda over the head. He falls to the ground.

"Do whatever you like with him," I tell the two.

"...someone put a little extra crazy powder in their protein shake this morning," Goki mutters out of the corner of his breath. Wakame nods, casting me a warily look.

I glare, and leave.

Okay, so scratch that. Goki isn't that nice after all.

Kanda remains to be a brainless pigeon-hobo.

And I make a mental note to find Momoe and Junko, slice them open, and force-feed their entrails to them for ever_ thinking_ for a _second _that Wakame actually_ liked_ me, the guilty look he gives me as I depart be _damned._

_RAWR_.

* * *

Later, I see Kenzan and whatshisface Marufuji with Juudai; they're babbling mindlessly to the kid and all I can catch from their conversation is 'Orgene', 'satellite', and 'controlled?!'

I go back to my video game.

* * *

It's like eight or nine when I decide to head in for the night.

Making my way back to my dorm, my mind drifts to Edo. It's not uncommon, really, because most of my encounters with him end up being in the night so it's only natural for him to haunt my thoughts in the dark. Thinking about him makes me think about how his beliefs clash with mine, and thinking about his beliefs makes me think about how Edo hasn't gotten over his old man being in the nursing home in the sky. And thinking about his parents make me think about my own, and I realize—I realize that maybe I should play the world's smallest violin for him. True, he had it bad—he's known murder, but... he's known other things too, hasn't he?

Personally, I had a peaceful childhood. My father was not murdered. My father's _father _was, although it wasn't so much murder as it was suicide. Alcohol poisoning. Living under an abusive alcoholic of a parent, my father barely managed to graduate from high school and unable to understand the importance of college or having the money to pay for it, he relied on manual labor to extend his future. Now, he's a construction worker and my mother's a part-time babysitter. We live from paycheck to paycheck but I didn't starve (on the contrary). Being their only child, my parents tried to spoil me as much as they could. They cared deeply about my safety, and always picked me up from school. Money was tight, but they loved me. So all in all, I had a happy childhood.

Edo didn't, of course.

But... Edo has also seen things I've never did. He became famous and rich and received all the secular luxuries anyone has ever desired for. Things most of us would give a leg and arm for, he's wholly axiomatic to. He has publicity, fangirls, limos, jacuzzis, private jets, yachts... he's a common household name and his face is probably posted on every single 13-year-old boy's room right next to one about an anime of gigantic mecha robots or something.

And all for what? The only thing he's ever really lost was his father. Is that really a fair trade? Is tit-for-tat so black and white...?

Not that I would ever kill my own father for riches, but...

Does that make him a...?

Then again, is it really his fault...? It's not like has asked God, _hey can you kill my dad so I can become a pretty boy pop star_?

But does he really hate his life?

I mean...?

…

It's funny... because despite being a good fighter, I don't have über mega-awesome ninja senses that come with the warrior of your choice in fantasy action adventure video games. My 'sixth sense' isn't honed enough for me to detect the incoming of the heavy blow to my head that literally comes out of no where.

Sharp, jagged pain shoots from the top to bottom of my skull; it felt like it split in two from the collision. My vision is distorted with black botches and stars—I collapse—I distantly hear voices—so familiar—

"Hold her down—hold her down, _goddammit_!"

My eyes snap open. I hear shuffling—and then heavy weight is appended on me—

"Fucking sonofabitch…" I mutter incoherently, but a gold star for usage.

"You're definitely far from eye candy, but hey…a pussy's a pussy, right?"

Realization hits me like a truck.

"Not as if you're aren't asking for it… with that miniskirt? Pul-eeze, showing way too much skin and nice peek of pink…"

—_you shitpieces can go to motherfucking hell—_

I'm flipped over so I'm on my back.

Hands claw at my top—

—someone jerks one of my pigtails—

—fingers slip underneath my skirt and into places they shouldn't be—

—_dkjgjb5j2p98hlksjldkjflwkneliudlgertr_—

…

It's like white noise.

Most people have heard of it, even if they don't know they've heard of it. It happens when your satellite disk can't pick up good reception and all you see on your television is silver-gray static and all you hear is this terrible, terrible _'shhhh'_ noise that masks all other sounds of equal volume. The noise is like the conglomeration of nails on a board and thousands of newspapers being crumpled up—drowns every other sound out. The color is like the color of your eyelids, shiny and neon and metallic looking.

That's what I saw and heard. Physically, I felt each hand touching, feeling, probing, groping, searching places that are _mine_—but my mind ignored it. Completely drowned it out. I shut my eyes and pretended I wasn't there, clichéd as it sounds.

The T.V. shut off when there was something other than the vile leering, something louder than the white noise—

There was screaming—cursing—scuffling—I felt the grass kicked up next to me—I think someone stepped on my finger—and a _CRUNCH_—a hard metal crashing against bone—more cursing—another_ CRUNCH_—and another and other—then presences dispatching from the area one by one—body heat gone—voices growing from low to high as they all scamper away—the grass is flatten next to me—the radiation of body heat again—quick breathing—

"Toukouseki?"

…and I think…I think... that's Edo.

I crack open an eye and sure enough, the familiar silhouette confirm my suspicions. Looking up at him from the ground, the way he stands, the way the dim light envelops him, suddenly makes him look like some kind of heavenly angel. An angel sent from the heavens to save me. My guardian angel.

I open my mouth and croak out: "…ne, perfect timing, Phoenix-kun."

He pauses. "We can talk once you've recovered. The infirmary is not far away from here."

…_I cannot think I cannot think I cannot think… _

I attempt a wry smile. "Scratch that. Let me ask you a big favor-aisu. Your boat. Take me there."

To emphasize my point, I push my upper body from the ground and shake my head to fling out the dirt. It's so dark…but maybe my eyes just need to adjust… they've been shut for some time now… I notice he has a metallic suitcase at hand. So that was his weapon of choice.

"Maybe it's better—" he starts, before I cut him off.

"I'm fine. Really. And neither of us wants to be bombarded with questions from Ayukawa-sensei, ne?"

Edo stays silent in thought. Then he unbuttons his suit, slips it from his shoulders and casts it onto mine, all the time meticulously averting his eyes away from my direction. I'm momentarily confused, before realizing that, right, I'm half-naked. He's very kind, but... I brush it off. I straighten my top and pull up my skirt.

"Alright, let's go…" He gets up and beings to extend his hand towards me, only to falter and retract it. He assumes I probably wouldn't want to be touched.

...

Yeah probably.

* * *

I notice that while we walk, he's giving me momentarily glances every couple of seconds and I wonder if there's something on my face.

* * *

He jerks his head in my direction when I cough, and it's hard not to notice his concerned expression. I ask myself, _is it real_?

* * *

He must have made a wrong turn in the darkness because we soon encounter scattered foliage blocking the supposed path to the docks.

Rather than turning back, he pushes the branches aside, delicately cradles my back with half an arm, and ever-so-lightly ushers me through makeshift entry with a soft, "Here now... watch out for that branch."

"I'm fine. _Really_," I tell him.

He smiles at me like I'm two, and I want to punch him.

* * *

I set my brain to work when I see a faint outline of a ship approaching ahead.

Totaling up all the numbers in my head, I count a good nine times that Edo looked at me since we began walking.

... my heart _hurts_.

* * *

"We're here."

He opens the cabin door.

"You play?" I nod towards the upright piano in the corner and the violin resting on the shelf next to it. I prop his jacket onto the coat rack, ignoring the look I recieve from him.

"The piano's just for show, though I used to play duet."

Protégé, duelist, athlete, musician… What a superboy.

"I know how to play the piano," I say, "Not just that pop junk either. Classical. Blues. Rag."

He doesn't even shrug. "Cool."

"I'm hungry," I announce, pulling off his suit and . "So how do you normally dinner? You don't order out, do you now?"

"I am a student of this school. The Obelisk Blue dormitories provide me with victuals."

"Yeah, well, seeing as we don't exactly have an Obelisk Blue dorm in the time being…" I pause, flicking a speck of dirt off my shoulder, and then hastily adding in, "It's in the process of being reverted though."

"I cook," he simply replies, eyes glancing towards the direction of the kitchen.

I waltz into his kitchen and scour through his fridge. "Well, seeing as I'm the guest tonight…I'll cook my host something delicious…"

"You don't have to—"

"Hell yeah, I don't. I'll be doing it, however, seeing as I don't trust your people's food." I frown. "…you have anything in here that's not steak?"

"Toukouseki—"

I slide out a container filled with rice and wave it at him. "I presume you know how to use chopsticks?"

Edo is, to say the least, taken aback by my upbeat personality.

"If you're hungry, I'll cook," he offers, hesitantly, "Why don't you… rest..." he gestures awkwardly towards the instruments, "... or play something?"

"Hah! Cold Pad Thai is an abomination. Eat first, concert later. We can do a duet. Improvisation!" I declare with enthusiasm I don't feel.

"Toukouseki..." he sighs.

"Yes, yes, that's my name, I know."

I get around to whipping up something positively not delicious, only for Edo to interject with a final "Toukouseki" and then "Sit down, I'll make us tea" and he says it with this note of finality in his voice and a real serious face, so I plop on a chair and drum my fingers against the table while he boils some Earl Gray or something American. Or British.

Or whatever the hell that bastard is.

But... when he's in the kitchen and I can't see him any more, there's an air of emptiness in the room that can't be filled with my drumming fingers, my tapping foot or my sighs. And I suddenly feel empty. I don't want to be alone... it's freaky.

Come back, Edo.

C'mon...

Come _back _already!

...

He comes in a few minutes later wielding two tea cups each on their individual saucers, after I revisited 'I'm fine' in my mind fifty times over and am still going.

"Here." He sets the saucer in front of me and takes his place on the other side of the table. I ignore the tea.

"Thank you for helping."

He's surprised at my kindness but then gives me a sincere smile. "You're welcome..."

"Why did you help?"

His smile fades. He puts down the teacup that was at his lips moments ago and rubs his forehead. "... Toukouseki-san should stop being hard to deal with," he mutters. "It's making me regret taking her here in the first place."

"Phoenix-kun shouldn't be a melodramatic basket of angst."

"... Touché."

"Riposte."

"... drink your tea."

"Why are you so concerned over me? Because I'm like your sister? Well, some sister I am. You're perfect. I'm …me."

"Enough of this," he interjects sharply. "We're not revisiting this topic all over again." After a moment, "Are you feeling fine?" he asks in a softer voice.

"Yes," I replied, bored. "How come you like me?"

Edo sighs, too polite to tell me to shut up.

"Well?"

He tries to divert my attention by using the 'coincidentally occupied by some other object when a reply is expected' technique AKA taking a sip of his tea to avoid fanning the flames.

Because I'm not in the right state of mind and I am unable to extort self-control, I do whatever pops into my mind—not bothering to run it through my proper social etiquette scanner and get a check in the box first. In other words, I snatch the teacup from his hands while he's drinking it in an attempt to get him to start talking. Hot tea spills over his hand, the table, and splatters on a few of my fingers too.

"What's your problem?" he yelps, recoiling from the table and burning liquid. "_Really_…"

I instantly feel guilty. "…sorry."

Edo sighs and pulls a box of tissues off a nearby shelf. He treats his hand first and then proceeds to wipe up the mess on the table. Once he's done, he takes my fingers and dabs it clean.

"You're touching me," I say bluntly.

He pauses. "Do you... do you mind?" His eyes inspect me. I wish he won't treat me like I was some weak rape-victim.

"Not really. You should have asked my permission though-aisu."

He rolls his eyes. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"

"You never answered my question. Why do you like me?"

"Because, Toukouseki, you're a nice girl."

_Cheap and transparent_, said the Japan Times.

"You don't even know me."

He gives me a wearily look, and then throws the tissue into a nearby waste basket. "I know enough."

"My hopes, my dreams, likes and dislikes, personal life, history... hell, do you even know when my birthday is?"

"July 9th."

"_NO_. It's January 21st."

He looks shocked for a moment, and then glances down. "Uh...got you confused with someone else," he mutters, embarrassed.

Silence.

Then:

"What are you thinking of?"

Politely, "Nothing."

"You can't be thinking of _nothing_. It'd mean you're either unconscious or dead-aisu."

"Why do you care why I'm thinking?"

"Trying for conversation."

"Could we not? I mean... shouldn't you rest?"

I examine him closely. "… You're being nice to me because you're totally guilty."

A shrug.

"Admit it. You feel guilty. You made me cry. Like... five times."

His patience reaches its limit. He glares tiredly at me, looking like he wants to do nothing more than introduce me to his door and tell me to not let it hit my fat ass on the way out.

"Look… I don't want to talk right now. Could we just… not talk?" he bites out.

"… imbecile."

"Quit being immature," he snaps.

"Right. I'm immature, says the one who thinks he's God."

I hit a sore point. "... What was that?"

I bite my tongue. "Nothing."

He glares at me. "Good."

More silence.

"...so what are we exactly?"

"..."

"Well?"

Edo glances up, frowning with chagrin. "_Whaaat_?"

"What are we?"

"What do you mean?" he snaps.

"We're not friends because we have no special 'connection'. Or even know anything about each other, for that matter. We're not enemies or rivals because you don't consider me as either-aisu."

I get the impression he wants to stop taking his calcium pills and throw himself down the stairs. "I don't know."

"Wow. Edo Phoenix doesn't know something-aisu."

He ignores me, knowing it's a cheap attempt at provoking him.

And then:

"...I... " He takes a breath. "I'm taking you to the infirmary."

"I feel fine," I reply nonchalantly, although I'm quite certain his proclamation stemmed more from trying to get me out of his hair than actual concern for my well-being.

"You're going to the infirmary," he repeats firmly, pulling his jacket off the coat rack and looks around, only to see me making my way to the piano. He makes a noise.

"Hey before we leave, I promised you a concert, remember? What do you want to hear? My specialties lie with Debussy and Chopin."

"Toukouseki, cut the crap—"

—he wretches me away from the piano.

"I know you're in pain after what happened tonight, and I know that you're shaken up and confused. But please, _please_ go to the infirmary where you can get the help you need," he says, voice all soft and pleading, eyes all caring and he seems just so _innocent_.

"I don't want to," I speak in a small, childish voice.

"You have to. If not for your sake, then for mine, okay? I know you want to stay here w—" he cuts off, and I think he was about to say 'with me' "—because it feels safe here, away from everyone else, and you don't want to go back into the darkness where they can get you again... but I'm scared too. I'm scared because I'm only human and I can't help you to the degree you think. Even if I provide you temporary relief, if you don't get your wounds treated by people who actually know what they're doing... So please go, for me?"

I shake my head.

"Tell you what, I'll walk you there. Okay? C'mon, it'll be safe. I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise to protect you," He pats my shoulder. "It'll all be okay... it'll all be okay..."

More silence.

"Phoenix-kun?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I tell you something?"

"Of course…"

"Um, can you promise me you won't say anything until I'm done? Please?"

"I promise, Toukouseki."

"You promise?"

"Swear to my heart."

"Okay." I take a breath. "…I think you're such an good actor."

His eyes widen.

"It's looks from anyone's perspective…that I'm just putting up a 'tough-girl' act…when I'm really in love with you."

_—don't you see? It's driving me crazy trying to figure out what the hell you're thinking_—_I want to know what's going on in that mind of yours—are you're thinking about me?—_

"You think it too."

He blinks.

_—because in the end, all I really, really want is your approval. I want to** be** somebody to you. And I want your attention—I want you to hate me because that's still giving me attention—if I irritate you, at least I'm in the back of your mind—_

"I won't say you're only pretending to care. Because I know you do."

_—m'god, Edo… you have absolutely no idea how much power you have over me sometimes. And screw it if I just sound like another deranged fangirl, but sometimes, I think I might just love you—_

"But Phoenix-kun is not a sappy romanticist."

_—and truth is, I have self-pity parties all the time. I constantly admit how imperfect I am so other people can't criticize me for my flaws—_

"He has walls guarding his heart, ever since his father was murdered. He pursues a path of justice, a noble path of justice."

Edo's hands are trembling.

_—because in reality, I am kinda pretty… I'm not a half-bad duelist, I can be social, my grades are good, I have willpower and the motivation to act__—_

"And... he does a good job of it. He does not stray from it. He cares for me, because it's his duty, but because he actually _cares_."

His trembling turns to shaking.

_—yet at the same time, I'm not pretty enough to be noticed from the crowd, I'm not charming or an intellectual conversant, and you most certainly won't date me to gain publicity—_

"And he may deny it…"

Something hot, sweltering, and wild awakens in his eyes.

"—_but dammit if I'm not the first girl who has gotten this close to you since your goddamned **mother**_—"

Suddenly, Edo lurches towards me with feral eyes and I recoil, knowing full well the oncoming punch to my face is going to leave me in _searing_,_ white_ pain and seeing stars in front of me—I can't help but blink from natural, animal instinct—I feel his body heat pushing its way through the invisible barriers of my personal space as he descends towards me—and he seizes me by the shoulders, gripping hard, enough to my muscles tense in reaction—and I feel his breath on my face—

—and he kisses me.

Mouth on mouth, and lips on lips, I taste him and he tastes like what another human being should taste like, not French vanilla or chocolate or strawberries or whatever saccharine analogies they use in romance novels. He tastes like saliva and the tea we drank earlier and Edo, whatever Edo's taste like. He tastes like men, because he's my first, even if I'm probably not his, and I'm just assuming that all men taste like a mixture of testosterone and sweat and pig-headed anger. And for some reason, for some, some reason, my near violated experience and Marufuji Ryou and everyone else is pushed out of my mind because goddammit was I scared and in love and confused and_** I'm only a teenager **_but Edo was there to save me and that's the reality of the situation and nothing can change it now.

The kiss isn't romantic.

(I'm only a teenager. He's only a teenager.)

He breaks it off and gasps for breath, he gazes at me dazedly, his eyes are heavy-lidded, and he says, pants, hisses, breath warm against my cheeks, "Shut up, just _shut up _Toukouseki for once in your_ life_."

He kisses me again. He let's go of my shoulders; arms snake around my body, he tips my head, he tilts me back, my hair dangles, his bangs graze my forehead, and he deepens the kiss.

—it's just sexual frustration—

(We're just lost and confused. He's tired. I'm tired.)

"You talk to much, you know that? So just _shut _up," another kiss.

—and he'll probably sees me as one of those eccentric fangirls once this night is over, once his head is clear; he doesn't really love me or anything—

(Words mean nothing and action is the only way out.)

—but I know that there's a glimmer of truth, a glimmer that this night isn't just a one-night stand, when he pulls away for the last time, gazing at me with all the intensity than he can muster up, and says breathlessly,

"And quit calling me '_Phoenix-kun'_."


	4. 8: Finale

...my story sort of ends here.

Three days later, Saiou's politely planned mass genocide and subsequent erasure of the Human Race from the collective world mind did not go through thank Peter, Paul, and Mary although if the McCarthy Foundation gave out evil genius grants there would be no doubt Saiou would have won one. I suppose we have to give props to one Yuuki Juudai for putting a permanent stop to the Lord of the Ring-Lings' plans. I swear, that guy is a superhuman spoon of whup-ass for beating Saiou in a duel. I half-expected Hell Kaiser to kick his ass (he is the Kaiser, after all) but no, he copped out of the tournament for no apparent reason so when push came to shove and no one else entered the So You Wish To Save The World From Eternal Light Sweepstakes that Osiris Red mook saved us all. An Osiris Red. Jeez! I didn't watch the duel or I heard he goddrawed his way to victory. The bastard!

(Alright, I admit... I'm being tougher on the kid than I really mean it. Juudai is... awesome.)

Suffice to say, I never got around to a rematch with Gin. Someone else did, though—Ran. Yeah, Ran. She, Momoe, and Junko teamed up to face off against Gin and a very reluctant Kanda in a 3-2 duel. Somehow, someway, the females triumphed over their male counterparts and surprisingly, beat some sanity within them so they no longer were in **"SIEG HEIL, MEIN FURHER SAIOU**" mode.

I learned what was required in order to revert Saiou's brainwashing process: You needed intent. One couldn't just simply beat a person in the Hikari no Kessha at a children's card game. (Although, Manjyome was the exception; his dropped his pants to anyone who knows "You are getting sleepy".) They needed to possess the desire to rip off the bindings of the light wrapped around that person's mind. Ran had that. Apparently she wanted to accomplish one good deed before packing up her bags and hitting the graduation ceremony. After all, she if she learned nothing else throughout her three years here, she learned this: Love is a crapping horse... and you didn't need a man to complete you.

I remember the last day we spent together. Ran, Momoe, Junko, Wakame, and I were spectators of the last duel of the Genex tournament between Captain Buzzsaw and some girl with dark blue hair. We were an interesting bunch. I mean, three is a crowd, but five is a freakshow. And just to chalk up another one for the freak count, Kanda pokes in his dorkiness while Manjyome was in the middle of claiming absurdist parody with his Ojamas circus act.

"Sorry I'm late guys. What's happening? What did I miss?"

"Nothing much, hun. Manjyome just made another assertion about atmospheric static electricity being required after his name," Ran replies with an air of obvious boredom, earning herself a glare from Wakame. "What," she demands, upon noticing his look.

"You're an ungrateful wench, I hope you realize," Wakame waspishly retorts, crossing his arms while he's at it.

"She has a heart condition," offers Momoe. "She doesn't have one."

"I've got a fake laugh with your name all over it," sez Ran.

"And I've got a cramp from not laughing," snaps Junko, pulling Momoe close to her and away from Slutty Slutinstein.

Kanda frowns. "...why do you people always go to sarcasm first?"

"Good point," I put my two cents in, looking very uninterested.

I, intelligently, do not voice my opinion that the collective intellect of this clique remains slightly lower than that of a squirrel.

They continue bickering amongst themselves until Manjyome slaps down the fateful POT OF GREED and pulls some crack victory out of his ass involving a Shield Attack and sexual assault from Ojama Yellow. Poor girl. Whatever her name is.

Later that day, there's an announcement of a gigantic party at the Obelisk Blue dorms in celebration of Manjyome's victory in the Genex tournament. The party was sponsored by the school… and Manjyome himself.

I never went. But all my…what do you call them again? Uh…

My friends…

They all went.

I heard a bunch of stuff too. Ran and Kanda were just being awful heinous demons of discord, Momoe and Junko finally got it on with Fubuki, and Juudai gorged himself with fried shrimp (ASDFASDFASDF **I HEARD ASUKA KISSED HIM**...until I realized that was just Fubuki spreading nasty rumors).

I... heh.

I never saw them again after that day.

Ran graduated, and I didn't go. Because we never considered each other 'friends', we never actually got each other phone number or email address or any contact information at all. I think she's on her way onto the pro league. She might be. She might be a bug-loving botanist for all I know.

I believe Kanda still plays his crazy gameshow deck with his baritone voice. I wonder if he ever found a new love...or if he's still hopefully fixated on Tenjoin Asuka. I wonder if he found a new 'Aneiki'. I wonder if has more self-confidence now...

With Asuka back, Momoe and Junko stopped chasing me. In retrospect, I don't know why they even liked me. 90 percent of the time I either verbally abused them or flat-out ignored them...yet I think they genuinely liked me for some reason. Maybe it was the other 10 percent. I bet had I ever see them again in the hallways, they would smile and we would have exchanged small 'hi's and 'how are you doing's.

Despite all the cold weird...relationship thing...Wakame and I shared, I still think about that blue-haired, glasses-wearing freak from time to time. Whatever he's doing is beyond me, but I'll bet you anything that he, his little buddy Goki, and their idol Manjyome share semi-homo-erotic baths together every couple of weeks.

Ironically, the only person I did see that day was no other than Ryusei Gin himself. I remember how he approached me; I remember turning as chalk-white as his pointy hair had once been, I remember slowly backing away from him with wide eyes; I remember my heart in my throat when closed in on me, his eyes heavy-lidded and tired.

"I apologize."

I shook my head and mumbled something about 'it's okay' and 'whatever'. He took a step forward and I glared angrily at him, pinpricks of tears emerging at the corner of my eyes despite my willpower. '_Please go away_,' I had told him.

He looked like he was going to cry himself. He apologized again.

"It's alright. I just don't want to talk about it," I muttered, refusing to look at him anymore.

"No, I'm really sorry," he said miserably, voice hoarse and starting to crack. "Being possessed...or brainwashed...or whatever Saiou did to me is not an excuse for my actions."

"It's in the past...Gin," the name flowed awkwardly over my tongue, "Let's not dig up the past. Let's just forget all about it and move on."

He pointed to his cheek. "I want you to punch me here as hard as you can."

Unable to think, I mechanically reeled my arm back and socked it to him. The punch barely pushed his head to the side.

He stared at me, wide-eyed and in dismayed shock. "...I'm sorry," he whispered.

He dropped to his knees.

"I'm sorry."

Do you have any idea how strange it is to spend your last moments in your high school with your latent rapist?

...

The very next day, I took the ferry home. Me and four hundred other kids. To them, they were simply saying goodbye to the island for two months. It was a summer break for them and barely three months later, they would be riding the same ferry back towards the island where they'll play card games and deal with killer satellites, pseudo-religious cults led by carnival-ass freaks and Waves of Light that slipped through the fingers of the Supernatural Suppression Squad.

For me, it was the last time I would ever ride the ferry towards or from Duel Academia. For me, it wasn't a summer break. For me, I wouldn't be back three months later to join Juudai and gang to kick-ass with magical slips of cardboard in striking back-bending poses.

My premature 'last' year at Duel Academia was only attributed with one thing: I no longer had a wish to duel.

I left that school, and the following year I moved to beautiful and foreign country.

Goodbye, Duel Academia.

Goodbye, Duel Monsters.

Goodbye, friends of mine.

Goodbye... and thank you for everything.

* * *

"And that's how we met...remember? Christ! That seemed like such a long time ago-aisu!" exclaimed a pale, skinny girl with sausage-shaped pigtails. She took a swing of her fountain soda and slammed the plastic cup on the table. "Can you believe that was only, like, a year ago?"

"Time flies as you grow older," her companion calmly said.

"Yeah, well, I can't believe so much time passed after that! So much happened... I mean, I hated most of it, but some of it was mad fun." She squinted at the person sitting across from her as he took a refined bite from his burger. "You were 95 percent of the reason why I hated most of it," she scowled.

"Hum-dum."

"I hope Marufuji-kun totally kicks your ass. He matured over a year, y'know. I heard he even got a new deck. Hey... hey... don't eat so much! You have a fund-raiser dinner later tonight at the Trump tower!" Toukouseki snatched the unfinished burger from his hands. Ignoring the boy's glare, she proceeded to devour the thing herself. The boy crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"Aren't you always worried about your weight?" he asked dryly.

Toukouseki paused mid-munch. She cast the kid a serious glare. "...the standards here are weird. Apparently, being 65 kilograms and 1.7 meters is skinny. White people are funny." She finished the burger with a few more bites and crumpled up the wrapper, tossing it on the plastic serving tray.

"Pounds and feet," her companion chided. "We use the metric system here."

"White people are funny," she stubbornly repeated. "They look at me like I'm crazy."

The boy leaned forward and raised his eyebrows even further. "Perhaps it's because you're always speaking in _Japanese._"

She stuck out her tongue.

"And you're not exactly quiet either."

"Go die in a ditch," Toukouseki dramatically announced and stood up, taking the tray and emptying it in the garbage disposal. "Now, as much as this little meeting was, I have to get going. I have school tomorrow and I still haven't finished my psych homework. And you have to go be pretty and screw people for money."

He sighed and straightened his jacket. By the time Toukouseki had returned, however, she had returned to her reminiscing state.

"I can't believe it's been a full year," she sighed. "I miss Japan. I want to visit them..."

"You'll see them again," he reassured. "Next time I visit Saiou, I'll take you back with me." He began to walk towards the exit.

"...hey Edo?"

He turned around. Toukouseki looked uncomfortable.

"You think... you think we can ever...I mean...not publicly, because the press will go wild...but..."

Edo gave her an amused smile. "I'm only sixteen. You're only seventeen. We have a long way to go before I think about a girlfriend."

She awkwardly laughed. "Yeah, I mean, you're busy and all and I have a guy friend at school who promised he'd call me..."

He silenced her with a touch on the cheek. He took her hand and led her out of the fast food restaurant.

"C'mon, Toukouseki. Let's go."

They stepped out into the world together.

New York City had never looked more beautiful in the snow.

_END_

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you all who have stuck by me and given me continuous support! There was no way Momentum/Criminal could have been finished without all your feedback! This is the first, and probably only, multi-chaptered fanfiction I have ever finished and I am very, very satisfied done so! What I started back in July of 2007 I finished of February of 2009! I have no idea why I'm still using exclamation marks!

Any questions, comments, criticism, LOL TOUKOUSEKI IS A SUE material can be left in the reviews, as always.

Again, thank you for the support, I love you guys, there is no sequel because like most long-term fanfiction writers going into college, I am under the misguided impression that I am good enough to write my own original novel. Hurray, hurray, and hurray.


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